A planned heat network in Westminster could see landmark buildings heated using waste heat sources such as the River Thames, London Underground and sewer networks.
The South Westminster Area Network (SWAN) was developed by DESNZ and AECOM and could supply decarbonised heat to around 1,000 buildings including the Houses of Parliament and the National Gallery, in an area between Victoria Station up to Temple Underground Station, bounded by St James’ Park and the River Thames.
Now a joint venture of Hemiko and Vital Energi (the SWAN Partnership) has been appointed to invest in and deliver the heat network. The venture will develop multiple clusters of heat networks which will eventually will grow and interconnect with one another to become one very large central London heat network. It is expected that the first heat will be provided in 2026, with the network due to be entirely connected and complete by 2050.
Channa Karunaratne, head of heat networks at AECOM, said: “The size and ambition of SWAN demonstrate how to drive decarbonisation at a city-scale, and it is a trailblazer for how our cities can operate more sustainability.”
Toby Heysham, CEO of Hemiko and spokesperson for SWAN said: “Heat networks are the next big utility in the UK, and we are investing £1 billion over the next six years into networks that will allow local people and businesses to make use of locally wasted heat. We strive to embed ourselves in the local community, understanding the pressures and opportunities in the area, and figuring out how we can help, such as bringing high-quality green jobs and supply chain opportunities.

“This network will be the flagship network in the UK, the first new zonal scale network in a market that offers an investment potential the size of the UK offshore wind industry. Steps like this show that the UK heat networks market is open for business.”
At the moment, just 3% of the UK’s heat demand is met by heat networks but the government plans to increase this to at least 19%, in line with the Climate Change Committee’s recommendations.